Man holding a boy’s head, boy holding a toy gun

Andrew Z.Glickerman Man holding a boy’s head, boy holding a toy gun from the Tuscan Street Work series 1996

Who shall I shoot? I have that bird in my sights, as it flies under the café table.
If I aim I can hit it now but it has to stay still.
I can see a target through these people; I can follow her from shop to shop
As I lie here waiting.

Who shall I shoot? Nonno might know. He’s told me about when he was a soldier,
He would wear a uniform and carry a gun.
Did he shoot anyone? That, he never tells me
As I lie here waiting.

Who did he shoot? If I close one eye I can see further, past the top of that building,
Nonno showed me two photos of when he went to war,
He doesn’t like to talk about it
As I lie here waiting.

Who did he shoot? Did he shoot the bad men? Men with bigger guns?
He hums to himself and just strokes my hair
With his rough hands that smell of hair grease and soap
As I lie here waiting.